A lot of consumers aren't familiar with how they work, and
they're concerned the new devices would lead to higher electricity bills, and "Big
Brother" monitoring and controlling their energy use.

One consumer group, StopSmartMeters.org, is committed to defending the
analog meter and contends smart meters represent a real threat to
the job market (meter readers would get the ax), and that
proximity to the meters would lead to health complications like tinnitus,
headaches and nausea, as a recent survey by EMF Safety Network
discovered.

Then there's the issue of whether the meters even provide
accurate, fair assessments.

"It helps to know how much you're consuming and which habits are
hurting the most," she writes. "Smart meters provide this
information, and just as you might skip that cookie once you know
it's 200 calories, you might think twice about using your
energy-sucking microwave once you know how much money you've been
wasting on it each month."